the original babs...

DJ Babu
"The Beat Tape Vol.1"
(Nature Sounds)

Dilated Peoples' DJ Babu has long played the background figure during the group's existence and while he is more than a stage prop DJ, his production credits with them aren't as expansive as Evidence's. If you have heard his 1995 mixtape, "Comprehension," however, then you'd also be familiar with Babu's jazzy side.

"The Beat Tape" finds 32 of Babu's instrumental laid out over 45 minutes. There are some pretty nice jams here for you to loop on your computer and start rhyming to. Moreso, any DJ can find these songs as decent interludes to scratch over. Unlike some of the more popular beatmakers, like Kanye West or Just Blaze, Babu's production style isn't bogged down by sped up vocal samples or repeated drum tracks. There's a lot of variation here which can fit several types of emcees and such.

More than anything, however, "The Beat Tape" is just a really great record to put on and listen to.